The Rock of Kuthian
by vijay95
Summary: Eragon must find a way to defeat Galbotorix by separating him from his eldunari. But with his supposed death, can the resistance survive, especially in the wake of a new enemy? My version of Book 4. ReaD and RevieW!
1. PROLOUGE

_PROLOGUE_

_Flashback_

_100 years ago_

"_Where is it?"_

"_I don't know."_

_A scream was heard from the room as the man slapped her._

"_Where is it ! Where is the Rock of Kuthian"_

"_I don't know !"_

_A bolt of white energy escaped from the man's palm and hit the women._

_The women was thrown into the wall of the cell and blood started trickling from her head._

"_Don't lie to me ! It's of no use. You are the last of the Guardians. You know where it is._

_Tell me and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams!"_

_The woman's eyes turned wide and the room started swimming in front of her eyes._

"_The last?"_

"_Yes last." _

_The man smiled with satisfaction as the woman fell unconscious. _


	2. The Cave

_**THE CAVE**_

_A beautiful woman was walking towards a cave in the mountains. She seemed to be afraid about_

_something and kept looking backwards. She was badly injured but kept walking even as blood flowed_

_from her head. As she entered the cave she suddenly heard a loud bang_ _behind her._

_The colour drained from her face and she ran towards a door that was hidden behind a rock._

_She started muttering words in a strange language just as another bang was heard, this time_

_nearer. She started muttering faster and finished just as a dragon landed outside the cave. _

"_So we meet again. It's a pity that you couldn't join me,you would have been very useful with _

_all the skill which you posses."_

"_I would rather die than join you!"_

"_Oh please, I've heard this plenty of times and in the end they did die after I had what I wanted._

_But now to the matter at hand . Where is it ?"_

"_Even if I told you, you would never find it. It shall remain hidden until the leader decides_

_otherwise. Only he has the power to find it."_

"_You fool , he is dead!"_

_The colour drained from the woman's face as she heard it. She seemed to become weaker with each_

_passing second._

"_You are lying" she whispered " It's not possible!"_

"_I decide what's possible and what's not! Now tell me, where is it!"_

"_It shall be found only by a true rider! The Rock of Kuthian isn't something to be used for your _

_selfish purposes. It is the key to such immense power that even 100 men of your power won't_

_be able to control the power !"_

"_Exactly why I want it,you fool. Now will you tell me where is it or should I force it from you?"_

_The women suddenly laughed and purple light started to surround her. A sudden explosion rattled _

_the cave and the women fell down as she lost the last remaining amount of energy that she had._

"_The Rock has been transported to a place where you shall never find it. Remember this, the Rock _

_shall be your end."_

_The man let out frustrated scream as he realized that he had been tricked._

"_So be it. But you shall not live to see my end."_

_A energy bolt hit the woman with such power that the whole cave started to collapse._

_The rider calmly walked out of the cave and climbed onto his dragon._

_As the dragon leaped into the night sky, the rider muttered a few words. An explosion occurred in the ground below and the whole hill was destroyed in an instant._

"_Let the rider come."_


	3. The Ambush

**The Ambush**

Eragon sat atop an oak tree waiting for the caravan to arrive.

Just a day after the battle of Fienster, Nasuada had received a report from one of her spies from Belatona that troops had left for Fienster at the middle of the night. Though the spy wasn't sure about the exact number of soldiers, he had assured her that they were at least a five hundred strong. Upon hearing the news, Nasuada had immediately asked Eragon and Roran if he could lead the soldiers to ambush the troops as the soldiers were tired after the battle and the casualty might be higher if the troops were allowed to attack them.

Eragon had immediately agreed and therefore he and the soldiers that Nasuada had given him command had left that very night to meet the troops. Eragon after journeying for a distance of about twenty five leagues had set up an ambush and had asked his soldiers to take their positions.

And therefore here he was sitting atop the tree.

"Shadeslayer."

"What is it Edric?"

"Our scouts have returned sir. They bring their report."

"Ask them to come here."

Eragon jumped down the tree and waited for the scouts to arrive. His sharp ears soon heard their footsteps. Upon seeing him they bowed.

"My lord, the soldiers have broken camp and are heading towards us."

"Good work, now take your positions."

They bowed again and left.

"_Roran get ready."_

"_Yes."_

"_Attack when I say so and make sure that your archers break their ranks and then send us the signal"_

"_Alright."_

Eragon withdrew from Roran's mind and then made sure that his soldiers were in position.

"_Now, to wait."_

Captain Brenden was busy shouting orders to his troops. He had been commanded to lead some troops

to attack Fienster which the Varden had taken control of.

"C_urse Them ! Those greedy bastards."_

"Captain, we are ready to march."

"Good. Troops forward !"

Eragon stood calmly on the oak. All was silent except for the wind. The silence was suddenly broken

to his sensitive ears by the sound of a horse neighing.

"_Roran they are approaching."_

"Soldiers, be ready!"

He saw the soldiers tense and pull their swords from their sheaths. On the opposite side of the road he saw Roran's archers stringing their bows and loading the arrows.

"_This should be easy."_

Captain Brendan and his troops approached a tiny pass on the hill.

"Soldiers, single file!"

The soldiers formed a straight line with the swordsmen leading the formation and the archers and cavalry following. The leading swordsman had barely passed the pass when suddenly, arrows started raining down upon them from the pass. Captain Brendan cursed and ordered a retreat. The soldiers upon hearing the command fell into disarray and in their hurry to escape from the arrows, started pushing each other. Half of them were trampled by their own horses and some other fell prey to the arrows. They had hardly ran fifty meters when out of no where a group of horsemen charged at them and killed them all within a matter of minutes.

"Good work all of you. You all fought well."

"It was our honour Shadeslayer!"

Eragon nodded and left the camp fire to talk with Roran.

"Hello Roran, how did you fare in the battle?"

"Good Eragon. Your choice of the place to ambush was very good."

"Thank you Roran, but I am feeling troubled by the fact that this few soldiers were sent to attack Fienster. There is no way that such a small army could have taken Fienster. Surely even they knew that!"

"Even I am worried by that fact Eragon. I think that this was just a diversion of some sort."

"True, but what is the diversion for?"

"I don't know Eragon. But we should rest now and then return to Fienster tomorrow."

"Very well. Good night brother."

"Good night Eragon."


	4. Naegling

**NAEGLING**

Eragon watched as the elves cleaned Oromis' body and prepared it for the funeral.

Eragon and Saphira had arrived at Gilead a day ago and had since then been helping the elves to restore order in the city. Eragon could hardly remember how he spent the last week and everything seemed to be very confusing to him. The strain that his body had undertaken during the Siege of Fienster and then the battle with the soldiers had drained Eragon of his energy. Saphira fared no better but though she didn't complain, Eragon could feel the drain in her energy too. The strain of flying from Ellesmera to Fienster, the Siege and then the flight to Gilead had drained both their energy to a very large extent. That both of them were unable to sleep properly added to the strain. Every time that Eragon slept the final moments of Glaedr was relieved. This prevented him from getting a decent sleep.

Immediately after returning from the battle, Eragon had asked permission from Nasuada to attend Oromis' funeral. Though at first Nasuada had been reluctant t give permission, continuous persuasion from not only Eragon, but also Arya and the other elves had forced Nasuada to change her stance. Thus after just three days after the Siege of Fienster, Eragon found himself running towards Gilead with Arya and the other elves. To avoid detection they had been forced to travel during the night and avoid major highways. Eragon too had run with the elves and had ignored their requests to travel on Saphira.

This helped take off Eragon's mind from Oromis' death and keep him occupied. Saphira hadn't objected to this as she too wanted to be left alone. The pain that Glaedr had felt when Oromis died was still fresh in their minds and deeply affected both of them. Glaedr's eldunari too didn't respond to their repeated calls. The elves too had stopped talking and kept to themselves. Eragon, after making several attempts at conversation with Blodhrgarm and Arya had given up frustrated. The only person who talked with him freely was Saphira.

Eragon still remembered the conversation that he had with Saphira a day before they had arrived at Gilead.

"_Saphira? What are we going to give as a present to Oromis and Glaedr?"_

"_What present little one? I'm afraid I don't understand."_

"_The final present to the dead from the living."_

"_Little one, do you still believe such things?"_

"_Saphira, I may be a rider and may even look like an elf. But at heart I'm still a human."_

To this Saphira didn't reply.

************************************************************************

As Eragon watched his mentor's body being cleaned, Saphira too sat by Glaedr's body, remembering all the wonderful time that she had spent with him. In the setting sun, Glaedr's body seemed to be made of gold and shined brightly. She felt a shudder pass through her as she remembered Glaedr's final moments.

"_I hope that I never experience that."_

As she watched the setting sun, a great roar escaped from her mouth, containing all her desire sorrow and anger.

Eragon was about to leave his tent when he sensed Arya coming.

"Arya Svit-kona, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Eragon, Queen Islanzadi has summoned you to her tent. She asks you to come as quickly as possible. She has also requested Saphira to join us."

"Very well, let us leave."

"_Saphira?"_

"_Yes little one?"_

"_Can you meet me at Islanzadi's tent?"_

"_Sure. I'm coming."_

"She shall meet us at the tent, Arya."

Silence ensued between them as they made their way to Islanzadi's tent. Arya broke the silence first.

"So how are you Eragon?"

"Fine Arya."

"Please don't lie to me Eragon. Even a kid shall notice that you aren't getting proper sleep."

"Sleep isn't possible at such times Arya. You didn't feel the pain and despair that Glaedr felt when Oromis died. Even if you had felt it, it would still affect me more as I am a Dragon Rider."

"Forgive me Eragon, I didn't want to hurt you but you look very weak and I was concerned for your health."

"Thank you for your concern Arya. Does my weakness really show?"

"Not really, but I could tell."

Eragon smiled and simply said, "Thank you."

As they neared _the_ tent, a huge shadow fell upon them and seconds later, Saphira landed next to them.

"_Good evening, Saphira."_

"_Good evening, Arya. What are you doing here?"_

"_I was asked by the queen to bring the two of you here."_

"_Why?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_Alright."_

An Elvin guard announced their presence and they were admitted in quickly.

Islanzadi's tent was really huge and even Saphira could enter with ease. When Eragon had asked Arya about the unnatural size of the tent, she had replied that it was also meant to accommodate dragons, so that they didn't have to remain out during discussions.

Upon entering the tent, they found Islanzadi sitting on her throne reading a scroll. As they entered she looked up and without waiting for Eragon to start speaking asked all of them to take a seat.

"Well Eragon, you must be wondering why I called you here. The reason is that Oromis has, in his will left you some of his possessions. The first thing that he has left you is his library. All the scrolls there now belong to you and you may do what ever with them.

Secondly he has left you the fairths that he had made of Vroengard and Illirea and the riders. He hopes that you shall take care of those fairths of the riders reign.

Thirdly he leaves you his sword Naegling and hopes that you shall use it to kill Galbotorix."

"He has left me Naegling?"

"Yes, but you have a choice here. If you don't want Naegling, it shall be destroyed along with Oromis and Glaedr's body as was the custom during the rider's reign. The choice is yours. If you want it, say so now."

"Please give me a moment to discuss it with Saphira."

"As you wish."

"_Saphira, should I really take Naegling. It seems wrong to take his sword."_

"_Eragon, you don't really have to ask me. But if you want my opinion, then I say that you take it. It shall be of use and we can keep it as a reminder of what Galbotorix has done to our masters."_

"_Very well. I suppose it shall be of use."_

"I accept Naegling Queen Islanzadi."

"A wise choice Eragon. Be sure to use the sword well. Nadia!"

"Yes my lady?"

"Bring Naegling here."

"As you wish your majesty."

The Elvin maiden brought the sword in a silver plate, along with the key to Oromis' library.

"Take the keys and the sword Eragon. Use them well."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"Eragon be sure to be at the banks of the lake before midnight. The ceremony shall begin exactly at midnight."

"Very well. With your permission, may I take your leave now?"

"You don't need my permission Eragon. You are the true Leader of the Riders, now that Oromis has died."

"I shall be sure to remember that Queen."

With that, Eragon exited the tent with Saphira following him.

"_Did you hear that, Saphira? The Leader of Riders. Like I care about it."_

"_You should care little one. This is great honour for us and don't forget that as the Leader of Riders, Islanzadi can't disrespect you. She will be forced to accept us as her equals, whether she likes it or not."_

"_True, but still, after Oromis' and Glaedr's death, it doesn't seem too important."_

"_Don't say that Eragon. As the leader, your powers shall increase automatically. Didn't you pay attention to what Oromis told you? The leader was always stronger than normal riders and had access to the oldest scrolls, which only he could read and understand. Imagine how much it shall help us if we learn new spells that only the leader would know!"_

"_I don't feel anything different Saphira."_

"_But don't you get it? Why do you think Oromis has left you his library? He wanted you to find something there which he must have forgotten to tell you. And any way, you shall become the Leader only when Oromis' funeral is finished."_

"_How do you know that?"_

"_Glaedr once told me of the ritual that is done during the death of the leader of riders."_

"_What happens then?"_

"_Wait and see." _

And with that Saphira took off into the sky.

"_All right. I shall wait."_

**So another chapter is up. Hope you like it.**

_**Please read and review. I really want to know your opinion of this fanfic.**_

**Vijay 95**


	5. The Funeral

**THE FUNERAL**

Eragon and Saphira had arrived at the banks of the lake at midnight to find all the preparations for the funeral complete. The elves had placed the bodies on a great boat made of gold and silver. The bodies of Eragon's masters were gleaming as if they were made up of copper.

As they arrived, they were greeted by Arya. She had an expression of great sorrow on her face.

"Both of you have arrived just in time. The funeral is about to start shortly."

Eragon nodded and followed her towards the boat.

"_Saphira, what will happen during the funeral?"_

"_The riders' bodies were always burnt when they died, not buried . This was a precaution against exploitation of their bodies by people with evil intent in their hearts."_

"_How is that so?"_

"_Riders' bodies contain secrets that were not known to the other races. Burning the bodies was a preventive measure to make sure that the secrets were not revealed. The bodies were usually burnt at Vroengard near the sea, but as that isn't possible now we have to make do with the lake."_

"_But why were they burnt at a water body? That makes no sense. And also, if secrecy is that important, why are the elves preparing for the funeral?"_

"_They were burnt at a water body because __**burning**__ isn't just burning. When the bodies are burnt, the amount of energy released by them is tremendous, enough to destroy this whole camp. And, the elves will not be attending the main funeral. The only helped in cleaning the bodies and even then I was keeping a watchful eye on them. Only a highly _

_Skilled magician can extract the secrets from the body. The elves will watch from the shore and only we shall be in the boat."_

"_How do you know so much about these things? I don't remember Oromis talking about any of this!"_

"_Only a dragon can tell this to a rider Eragon. Glaedr didn't think it necessary for you to know about this. It would have been unnecessary and would waste a lot of time which could have been spent in training."_

"_True."_

They had almost reached the boat by the time they finished the conversation and saw the Elven lords and ladies standing before the Rider's body.

As they reached the boat, all the nobles bowed to them and payed their respects to not only Saphira, but also Eragon. This surprised Eragon because the nobles usually did not pay respect to Eragon _first._ Eragon usually initiated the greetings as all of them were stronger and older than him individually (without Saphira by his side of course). They were welcomed by Queen Islanzadi, who without doubt didn't like the behaviour of the nobles but she didn't comment on anything. She quickly greeted them and addressed the great crowd of elves that had arrived there.

"Today, we have gathered here to mourn the loss of one of the greatest riders in history. Oromis and Glaedr were a constant source for inspiration for all of us who want to dethrone the mad king who sits in Urubaen. They were the ones, who despite being crippled, led our army to battle from the front. They were highly skilled and would have easily defeated the Red Rider if it weren't for the intervention by Galbotorix and their disabilities. Let us now remember those great souls who died for what they believed was right and whose determination didn't waver till their last breath."

Everyone present there observed a minute of silence and there wasn't one face in the gathering whose face wasn't wet with tears. Finally Queen Islanzadi asked the gathering to witness the funeral of the Dragon Rider and pay their last respects to Oromis and Glaedr. Everyone came forward and payed their last respects including the Queen. Finally Islanzadi asked Eragon and Saphira to carry out the funeral.

As Eragon boarded the ship, he felt immense sadness for Glaedr andhoped that he didn't have to experience that pain ever.


	6. The Ritual

**The Ritual**

As the ship started moving, Eragon suddenly felt Glaedr's mind brush against his. He pretended not to

notice as the contact was so light that he had barely felt it. If he hadn't been thinking about Glaedr at that time he wouldn't have noticed it.

"_Another thing that I have to make sure that I concentrate when I start training."_

But what Eragon really wanted to know was why Glaedr wanted to make contact with him now.

"_Maybe he wants to pay his final respects to Oromis."_

"_Yeah, maybe you are right."_

Both of them stood near the bodies of their teachers in companionable silence as both of them mourned together. As they neared the center of the lake, Saphira asked Eragon to get on her back and help her start the preparations for burning the bodies. But Eragon still had a few doubts about the whole thing.

"_How exactly are we supposed to cremate them anyway?"_

"_We fly and then with my breath I shall set the bodies on fire. You on the other hand, have to make sure that the fire doesn't touch us. If it does we are doomed and we shall be burnt alive."_

"_Are you crazy! How will the flame even reach us? I think we will be far above the flames."_

"_**That is because all the magic that was once contained within the body will be released at once. The amount of energy released will be tremendous, especially as both of us were very old before we died."**_

Saphira almost fell of the sky. Eragon too was equally surprised to feel Glaedr's consciousness in his mind. At once, he was reminded of his training in Ellesmera and how his teachers explained the different aspects of magic to him.

"_Master Glaedr ! You finally have come out of that stupid shell of yours! And don't surprise me like that !"_

" _**Sorry Saphira."said Glaedr, though he wasn't feeling very sorry or happy.**_

"_Master Glaedr, I'm happy that you are talking again."_

"_**Thank you Eragon. As for your questions, I shall answer them after this funeral. Let's get this done, alright?"**_

"_But aren't you going to mourn him again?"_

"_**Eragon, the time for mourning is past. I have wasted enough time already. No doubt that I shall keep longing for him but I have a certain duty as a dragon. Keep that in mind and don't forget Oromis' last wish. He didn't want anyone to mourn his death for long. Now follow Saphira's instruction and fly away from the ship. "**_

"_As you wish master."_

Saphira started flying away from the ship and when she reached a safe distance from the ship, she stopped.

"_Eragon start preparing a ward to protect us from the energy. The drain of energy shall be high so I shall lend you my strength. Make sure that there is no loophole or we are toast."_

Eragon started building a ward and Saphira started concentrating her energy within her mouth to release it as fire.

"_Upon the count of tree little one. Be ready."_

"_One, two, three!"_

Saphira let out a single line of fire which hit Glaedr's body. The next moment there was huge explosion and Eragon fell his energy draining rapidly. He started using Saphira's immense store of energy but even her energy started to dissipate at a high level.

"_Saphira, I don't think that I can handle this!"_

"_**Here take mine!"**_

Eragon suddenly felt a surge of energy and saw that Glaedr was lending him his energy.

Shockwave upon Shockwave hit them and then finally it was over.

Saphira plummeted into the water due to the strain and almost lost consciousness. Eragon fared no better and lost consciousness upon impact.

"_**Well at least they survived."**_

**Tell me what you think about this chapter and sorry for the very late update.**

**R&R-**

**vijay95**


	7. The Journey

**A/N – I AM TERRIBLY SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER!!! I HAVE NO EXCUSE TO GIVE OTHER THAN THAT I WAS TOO LAZY TO UPDATE. I PROMISE THAT I SHALL UPDAE SOONER {my new year resolution}. **

**SO PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**

"_**Underlined means Glaedr's conversation"**_

"_**Bold means Saphira's conversation"**_

"_Italics means Eragon's conversation"_

**The Training**

It was almost three days since Oromis' funeral. The dragon rider had woken up to find themselves washed up near the banks of the lake. Both Eragon _and _Saphira found themselves deeply exhausted and unable to move. No sooner had they regained consciousness that Glaedr had started roaring orders to them. They were ordered to get up, prepare themselves for a flight and before they could ask questions, they found themselves flying toward north–west. They journey was peaceful as Eragon had fallen asleep and Saphira was flying with the help of Glaedr. When they finally stopped for the night, both Eragon and Saphira were bursting with questions.

"_Master, what are we doing here? Shouldn't we be flying toward the Varden?"_

"_**No, we are not going to the Varden again until both the elves and the Varden reach Urubaen. We are traveling toward a little training groud."**_

"_What!" _was the only reply that Eragon gave before being beaten to the point by Saphira.

"_**But master shouldn't we be assisting the Varden? They will be attacking Dras Leona soon and they surely need our help to win!"**_

"_**You both needn't be bother by that. You are dead."**_

Both Eragon and Saphira were stunned by that statement and eragon unleashed his wrath on his former master.

"_What the do you mean by that Glaedr!!! Tell us immediately!" _

"_**Alright, alright, don't get exited! What I meant was that both of you are presumed dead by both the elves and the Varden. The moment you lost consciousness I teleported both of you to the shore and waited until you regained consciousness. Then I placed a small illusion on the elves watching to make it seem as if both of you were burnt to ashes by the fire. So see, you ARE dead!"**_

"_**And what was the need to do that master? You do realize when the news reaches the Varden that we are dead, the soldiers will lose the will for fighting and the whole resistance shall crumble. The elves too, will fare no better!"**_

"_**I know that Saphira. But both of you need more training to even stand a chance against Galbatorix. You both saw how easily Galbatorix defeated us. He didn't even try to fight us personally. For you to stand a chance, you must go through intensive training, something which is not possible if you are called to battle every now and then. We will be able to train properly now, without interference. Get it now?"**_

Both Eragon and Saphira took in this new piece of information, contemplating the advantages and disadvantages of this action. In the end, they were forced to accept that this was the best possible action, even if it meant that the morale of the resistance would fall.

"_Alright, I think we understand what you mean. Where is this __**little training ground **__of yours?"_

"_**I think that you already now that. Which direction are we heading in?"**_

"_**North-west"**_

"_What is there in North-we. Oh! North-west !!!"_

"_**Exactly my student, North-west."**_

"Vroengard !!!"

* * *

The Varden camp Belatona

Dawn:-

The camp was woken up by cry of terror that resounded throughout the camp. Following the noise would leave us directly in front of the tent of an anguished commander. Nasuada, her Nighthawks and Garzvog who were on their morning patrol rushed into the tent swords drawn. But the sight that they beheld shocked them into silence. Jormundur was seen lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood, crying his heart out, his robes in tatters and the usually calm face was now filled with terror. His hands were pointing towards a table in which, upon inspection, nothing could be seen. But upon closer inspection a red rose could be seen, drawn from something that seemed like blood. Below the rose, there were a few words written, which struck Nasuada with terror in her heart.

_Thou have crossed the path of my lord and thou shall pay the price for it,_

_For only the blood of thy leader shall satisfy his hunger._

_Let this be a warning to thee, my princess, for his majesty's wrath have _

_You evoked._

_Captain Swing._

* * *

AND SO THIS CHAPTER ENDS. HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED IT.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU FEEL OF THIS FIC.

HAPPY NEW YEAR


	8. Vroengard

_**Vroengard**_

**So, I'm back again. Wishing All Of You A Happy New Year.**

"_**Underlined means Glaedr's conversation"**_

"_**Bold means Saphira's conversation"**_

"_Italics means Eragon's conversation"_

Varden camp _Belatona_

Dawn:-

Nasuada read the letter again and again, deciphering the meaning of the letter. Though she had little doubt about as to the information being conveyed, lots of doubts plagued her mind. Who was this Captain Swing and what did he want? Who was his master?

How did he manage to get into one of the most guarded tents in the Varden? How had he escaped after breaking the poor man's mind? _How had_ he broken Jormundur's mind? All the senior officers of the Varden were trained in protecting their minds to stop themselves from being controlled by the enemy magicians and Jormundur had been one of the best. What information had he gained? Was he loyal to the empire? If so they were definitely in trouble. A through check of the camp had been made and it hadn't yielded any results.

There was nothing out of ordinary and the sentries hadn't seen anything or anyone come or leave the camp. Even the Du Vrangr Gata hadn't been able to trace any magic or spell cast during the past hours and this had troubled Nasuada greatly. The camp had been put on high alert and the soldiers were informed of the incident. This had highly demoralized them and there was an urgent need to select a new commander in place of Jormundur. But who could be selected in place of Jormundur? It had to be someone who could lead the soldiers well and also restore their morale before the battle. A sudden inspiration struck Nasuada and she immediately called a meeting of all the officers and the council.

_This shall surely surprise them!_

Vroengard

Early Dawn:-

The rising sun would find a beautiful Sapphire dragon flying towards an island surrounded by tall mountains as high as the Spine. The mountains were a natural protection to Vroengard, as only dragons could fly over them. The mountains were covered by thick vegetation which was the home for many strange animals that weren't found in the mainland. As Saphira flew over the mountains, she felt a feeling of immense joy coursing through her body and she breathed out a huge flame that illuminated her surroundings for a brief second before being consumed by the darkness.

"_Saphira, will you please stop doing that! It is getting annoying!"_

"_**Why Eragon? Don't you feel happy that we are finally getting to visit our home?"**_

"_Yes, I am feeling exited about visiting this place but don't you think that we should lower our voices a little?"_

"_**No one can here us. We ARE speaking mentally, right?"**_

"_I know that! But by roaring and breathing out fire, you are attracting unwanted attention!"_

"_**Don't be silly. There is no one here except us!"**_

"_Tell that to THEM!!!"_

Saphira turned to see what Eragon was pointing out she almost fell down in shock. Right behind them were three magnificent dragons who were thrice as large as Saphira and breathing out flames. They seemed to be flying towards them with eyes that were clearly screaming murder.

"_So, um, what should we do?"_

"_**I think the obvious. RUN!!!"**_

**So it seems that there **_**are**_** dragons still left in Algaesia!!! But what are they trying to do?**

**Please Read and Review. Do tell me what you like about the fic and what you don't.**

**All criticism is accepted!!!**

**Vijay95**__


	9. Illusions

**And I'm back again! From now on I shall try to update every week **_**provided **_**I get at least 5 reviews for each chapter.**** This isn't much, is it? So please read and review. Enjoy the chapter!**

"_**This is Glaedr's conversation."**_

"_**This is Saphira's conversation."**_

"_This is Eragon's conversation."_

* * *

______

THE ILLUSSIONS

Eragon and Saphira flew as fast as they could, dodging the flames that the dragons kept on releasing. Once he had gotten out of his initial shock, Eragon started forming plans to get rid of their pursuers. This wasn't a easy thing considering that he had to continuously spells to protect them. Glaedr too was of no help, as he had formed a barrier around his consciousness and Eragon and Saphira didn't have any time to check out the barrier. Meanwhile, Saphira was trying her best to out fly her kins, but it was difficult considering that there were three dragons chasing her, each of them bigger and faster than her.

"_**Eragon! Do something!"**_

"_What can I do? They simply dodge all of my attacks! And fighting them mentally is NOT a option!"_

"_**Then distract them!!!"**_

"_And how am I supposed to do that? Alright, let me think. Got it! Saphira, turn around and face them!"_

"_**Are you insane!!!!!"**_

"_Just do as I say!! Trust me!"_

"_**Alright, I trust you."**_

And with that she turned around to face the three angry dragons.

Nasuada stared at the large city In front of her. It looked beautiful, with walls that shone as if they were made of ivory and the large gate that was made of Sal. Belatona was indeed beautiful and Nasuada regretted that the Varden would be destroying it soon. She watched as the sun rose and she immediately signaled for the assault to begin. The war cry of the soldiers was heard and as one, the troops began their assault. She had initially wanted to wait until Eragon returned, but she couldn't afford to siege Belatona for a long time. She just hoped that he would make it before the battle ended.

Erik stood at his post, watching the Varden begin their attack. Erik was known as the Iron man of Belatona. He had seen plenty of battles and had years of experience behind him which made him one of the shrewdest tactician in the empire. It had, therefore come as no surprise that he had been chosen to lead the army during this siege. And though he was getting old, he was still an imposing figure in the battlefield. After all, a large man who wielded a hammer _and_ a loud voice was indeed very troublesome to deal with. He watched as the first wave of the attack started and he immediately blew a large horn, signaling his men to face the Varden. The gates of Belatona opened and soldiers came out, and like a storm, both the armies met.

"You sure that they can stall them Commander?"

"Aye, they sure are fighting well. We won't be falling any time soon. But will it be enough, _Captain_?"

He cringed as two pairs of red eyes turned to face him.

"It better be Commander."

Roran watched as the first wave reached the gate. Though he wasn't pleased with Nasuada for not allowing him to accompany her to the battlefield, he knew better than to argue with her. He watched the battle unfold as he remembered the their conversation.

"_Roran, I want you to remain behind her when the assault begins."_

"_But why? I am more useful in the battlefield than outside it!"_

"_I need some one whom I can trust watching my back, especially as Jormundur isn't around. I promote you to the rank of Commander and I expect you to watch the enemy for anything unnatural. I am having a bad feeling about this battle and your brother and the elves aren't here to help us. Do you get it?"_

"_Yes, my Lady."_

Though Roran understood the reason as to why he had to stay behind, he still didn't like it. But as the Commander of the Varden Army, he had to set an example, now didn't he?

Islanzadi watched as the boat suddenly exploded. She watched as the flames started to reach the Eragon and Saphira, but she was help less. The flames suddenly consumed the pair and then, just suddenly that it had started, it became quiet and flames died down. The very badly burnt body of the Dragon Rider started falling and fell into the Isenstar Lake. Just as she was about to ask her bodyguard to get to The Shurtugal, there was a sudden scream and Arya jumped into the lake, followed by Eragon's bodyguards.

* * *

The elves swam toward the spot where they had seen the pair fall down. Arya was in the lead, followed by Blodhrgam. The place was easy to find, all of them could fell the magic radiating from place. When they reached the spot, they found a sort of cage like structure which seemed to rise from the lake bed. Casting a spell to enable them to breath under water, they plunged into the water and followed the structure below. There lying in the middle of the lake, were the bodies of the Dragon Riders. Eragon and Saphira seemed to be sleeping, with a content smile in place. The sight made Ara cry in grief and she attempted to reach the bodies. However, the moment she reached the Cage, her body froze, before she was thrown back towards her companions, unconscious.

The moment Saphira turned to face them, the Dragons halted. They eyed the pair warily, as though they would try attack them, but they didn't lose the murderous look in their eyes.

"_**What are you going to do, Eragon?"**_

"_Watch and learn Saphira."_

"Eka ai fricai un Shur'tugal."

Silence greeted his remarks and just as suddenly as they had appeared, the dragons vanished.

"_What happened?!"_

"_**They just disappeared!" **_

"_**Congratulations on passing my test, Eragon and Saphira!"**_

"**WHAT!!!"**


	10. Defeat

Separation

_**Both of them have great potential. I hope you realise this?**_

_**"Yes, I do master. I am actually very proud of them!"**_

_**You have every right to Glaedr. You and Oromis have molded them very well into a proper Shur'tugal. But still, I don't think that they are ready to take on the responsibilities of The Leader, much less for learning the secrets of the Rock. I still need to test them further especially to see if they can be trusted with a servant.**_

_**"But why! They have proven themselves to be capable! You yourself saw them didn't you? They passed my test without even engaging the illusions created by you!"**_

_**That is exactly what worries me Glaedr. The fact that they didn't notice that they were trapped in a Illusion also can't be excused. Their Mental Defences are also not upto the mark. Galbatorix will defeat them with ease even without the Eldunari.**_

_**"But surely that can be excused! Though both of them aren't very talented in the area of the mind, they sure are passable! They prefer to meet the enemy head on. With a little more training they will be upto the level of Murtagh when he is using five eldunari. With the help of the Rock, they can surely take on Galbatorix!"**_

_**But what's the use of being physically strong when they can't protect their minds? Galbatorix was and is the best Rider in mental attack and defence. He will make them a slave to his whims and fancies. No Glaedr, I shall not allow them to learn the Secret until I see fit. I have therefore devised a painful but effective way of making them stronger.**_

_**"And that is?"**_

_**Wait and see.**_

The attack wasn't going _too_ well for the Varden. Both the armies were fighting each other to a stalemate. Though The siege weapons that the Varden used didn't seem very effective against the heavily fortified wall of Belatona, the superior numbers of The Varden was enough to push back the opposing army slowly towards the walls. Catapaults fired again and again on the walls damaging them little by little. Just as it seemed that the Varden would finally destroy the wall, a bright flash of light erupted from within the walls of Belatona. Before the soldiers could even blink, the walls exploded, showering The Varden with huge chunks of Debris, killing all the soldiers fighting near the walls instantly. As the soldiers stood watching, a single figure emerged from the walls, clad completely in red. The figure wielded a long sword covered in bandages, wearing a cloak which had black stars against a red background. As the soldiers stood gaping, the figure spoke in a soft voice amplified a hundred times by magic.

_**You haven't heeded the advice that was given to you.**_

_**And for was this shall your forces perish today.**_

_**This I swear upon my honour as a Servant.**_

Eragon sat watching the sunset, wondering what was happening in the Empire. A sudden wave of guilt assaulted him for leaving the Varden unprotected. Though he knew that it was necessary for him to become stronger, he thought that it wasn't right of him to fake his death even though he didn't have any choice in the matter. As he sat there, his musing was interupted by Saphira who had gone to hunt.

_" Glaedr is calling us little one."_

Eragon remembered their reaction when Glaedr had told them that they had passed his stupid test. He had just started yelling at Glaedr who was trying hard not to laugh.

Glaedr explained that he had tested them to see if they hadn't lost their touch and had been lulled into a false sense of security. Though angry, he understood the importance of such training. After that Glaedr had them started on a training schedule. And though he didn't admit it aloud, he certainly was enjoying the little training trip.

Everday, Glaedr had Eragon run 10 leagues in the morning in a park that seemed to be made for training while Saphira was asked to fly 20 leagues, within an hour. Every time that Eragon finished running before the alloted time, the time limit was reduced. Even after hundred years of disuse, the park looked as though it had been used constantly and was well maintained. The moment that that particular task was finished, Eragon would start woking on his endurance training along with Saphira. He had started with a simple excercise that required him swim in a pond without getting wet by releasing a constant stream of energy. Needless to say, he still couldn't do it properly. Everytime that he would try to release energy from his body, his body would protest. The pain was unbearable and it was all that he could do to remain in the pond for a few minutes.

Saphira on the other hand found the excercise easy. She didn't have any trouble as releasing energy was nothing new to her, as that was what made up her iron hard scales. Still, she had to learn to release the energy consciously and not instinctively. They practiced this excercise till noon when, after eating a quick lunch, they would start learning new techniques. And thus had been their routine for nearly a month before Glaedr had given them a week off before his eldunari disappeared in a flash of golden light. Needless to say Eragon had been furious.

And now he was summoning them.

_"And where are we supposed to go Saphira? I dontr remember him leaving any instructions."_

_"Still angry with him litle one?"_

_"Leave it Saphira, I don't want to talk about him now. where are we supposed to meet him?"_

_"In the castle of the Riders."_

_"Well, lets go then !"  
_

The Varden were being slaughtered. And even that was an understatement. None of the soldiers could even _see _what was happening. There would be a flash of yellow light and a soldier would be killed. Before they could even understand what was happening, the soldiers fighting in the front line were killed. And just as suddenly as the _thing _had come it disappeared.

Nasuada couldn't understand what to do. She gave the retreat signal which the soldiers were only too glad to follow. In the distance, they could hear the bursting of Crackers and fireworks in Belatona while the soldiers of Varden couldn't help but cry out in despair. Roran came out of the tent and stopped next to Nasuada.

"My lady, it's best if we abandon Belatona and retreat to Fienster ! We are in no condition to siege the city now."

"I completely agree. Pack up. We better move before they attack again."

**SO HOPE YOU LIKE IT. AND AGAIN SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!**

**vijay95**


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